The Marauders and the School of Magic
by Fisky43
Summary: Follow the Marauders first year as they meet, explore, and get up to no good at Hogwarts.
1. Expectations and letters

**A/N- I don't own anything in this, all Harry Potter world is belonging to JK Rowling, only only new characters in this chapter are the Potters' house elf and James' owl.**

 **Please review, I need feedback.**

Walburga and Orion Black, of number 12 Grimauld Place, were proud to say they were descended from a very old family. They had no time for mudbloods or blood traitors, and the entire community was aware of this.

Orion Black could often be seen stopping in at the Ministry to offer his opinions on current matters and attend meetings with the Minister, these often involved large donations from the Black Family vault. He was a pale, narrow faced man with jet black hair and a dour personality. Walburga had sunken black eyes that judged everyone she met and held her pointed nose high in the air, which helped her to look down on those beneath her, that being, in her opinion, everyone. The Blacks had two sons, Sirius Orion and Regulus Arcturus, who they raised to follow the family motto Toujours Pur, or always pure.

The 3rd of November was a dull grey Tuesday, but Sirius Black woke with the excited energy of any boy on his eleventh birthday. He leapt out of bed and raced into his brother's room. "Reg you gotta wake up!" cried Sirius leaping onto his little brother's bed "it's my birthday! I'm eleven!"

"Hap' birfday Siri, geroff," Regulus mumbled, pulling his covers over his head and burrowing back into the warmth.

"Come on Reg, get up," urged Sirius, just as Regulus was inexplicably launched out of his bed. "You know you're not allowed to do that, it's not fair, I wish I could control it like you'd I," Regulus scrabbled up rubbing his shoulder from where he had landed. "I don't know what you mean, it's 'accidental' magic," Sirius feigned innocence, "but since you're up, let's go see if my letter is here!"

Sirius grabbed he younger boy's hand and dragged him from his bedroom, down the dark staircase to the dank sitting room, decorated in grey and green like the rest of the house, where their parents sat waiting for their breakfast to be served to the by Kreacher, the house elf of number 12 Grimauld Place. The two boys burst into the room, and stopped suddenly as though hitting an invisible wall, they knew better than to be boisterous around their mother, who believed children should be seen and not heard, unless she was educating them on pure blood etiquette. "Morning Mother," Sirius cried, barely able to hide his excitement, "morning Father, have we had any owls this morning?"

"The only owl that has arrived this morning was delivering my newspaper," Sirius' father replied, glancing up from that morning's issue of the Daily Prophet, "you are expecting something?"

"Yes, yes my Hogwarts letter, I'm eleven now, and when you turn eleven you are eligible to attend Hogwarts and they send you out a letter, and since it's my birthday and I turned eleven I should get my letter today so that I can go to Hogwarts!"

"Calm yourself Sirius," Walburga said sternly, "your Hogwarts letter will not be here for months, they are not sent out until June before you attend. Frankly I'm not convinced I want you attending Hogwarts with the mudblood lover Dumbledore as Headmaster."

"Oh but mother, I simply must attend Hogwarts, it is by far the greatest school, Blacks have always learned at Hogwarts."

The conversation was interrupted at that point when the house elf entered the room struggling under the weight of an over sized tray laden with breakfast for Mr and Mrs Black. "You two may follow Kreacher into the kitchen where he will prepare you breakfast," allowed Walburga, "oh and happy birthday Sirius, we shall take you to Diagon Alley this morning where you may buy your gift."

"Can I get my wand too? You know, so I can start practising and prove how Black's are the superior family," Sirius knew exactly what to say to persuade his mother to do what he wanted.

"Well, in order to prove the nobility of the House of Black, I suppose that would be a good idea. Yes, you may get you wand as well, we will visit Ollivander's whilst we are in Diagon Alley."

"Thank you Mother." With this Sirius grabbed Regulus by the hand and raced into the kitchen to have Kreacher prepare their breakfast.

It was half past nine in the morning when a loud tapping woke James Potter from his sleep in. Blinking groggily he lifted his head off his pillow to find a large and elegant looking eagle owl, tapping its beak against his window. James did not recognise the owl, but rushed over and allowed the large bird to fly into his room where it promptly dropped a heavy yellow envelope on his pillow and flew back out the window. Whilst he was used to owls bringing his mail, the arrival of this particular letter had put James into a frenzy of excitement. "Mum, Dad, it's here, it arrived!" he cried out to his parents as he raced from his room down stairs to the large lounge room where his mother sat knitting a gold and scarlet scarf.

"What is that you have there James?" asked Euphemia Potter softly, as the boy shot into the room and started bouncing on his toes in front of her.

"Where's Dad? He needs to be here for this too!"

"Your father is outside, degnoming the garden," replied Mrs Potter with a smile, she recognised the heavy envelope with the purple wax seal, "sit here with me and we will send Cerus for him." At that a loud crack announced the appearance of the house elf in question.

"Did Mistress Euphy need Cerus to do something?" asked the elf, her large golden eyes looking eagerly to the lady of the house.

"Yes dear, could you please find Fleamont in the garden and ask him to join the three of us in here?"

"The three of you ma'am? Cerus only sees two of you here ma'am?"

"Of course, you will join us Cerus, this is an important letter, you must be here for its opening too." The elf's face broke into a large smile and with a loud crack she disappeared to find James' father, who very soon came rushing through the doorway.

"What's wrong? What has my troublesome prodigy done now?"

"Nothing Monty, nothing at all," grinned Euphemia, thinking of the pranks that James and Fleamont often pulled on each other, or occasionally on her, "just sit down while James opens the letter that has arrived for him."

Fleamont's eyes darted from his wife to the letter clutched in James' hands, to his son, whose resemblance to himself was so similar right down to he messy black hair that neither of them could ever get under control. "Ah, the letter, yes of course, about time," he sighed taking a seat on the large leather lounge beside his wife. Cerus was quietly standing beside Euphemia, the tips of her ears barely reaching the top of Mrs Potter's knees, her large eyes eagerly watching James as he tore open the letter and pulled out two sheets of the same parchment the envelope was made from, he held them up and announced to the room.

"Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin - First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)

Dear Mr Potter,

We are please to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Dept. Headmistress"

James stood there, his eyes flashing across the page as he read and reread the letter he had been waiting to receive for the last two months since turning eleven.

"Well? What are you standing there for son?" asked Fleamont in an amused voice.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I'm surprised you made it through the whole letter without dashing back up the stairs and sending Virtus back to Min-er I mean Professor McGonagall, you do wish to attend Hogwarts do you not?"

"YES OF COURSE," cried James, spinning on his heel and sprinting out of the room, the parchment abandoned on the floor.

Euphemia turned to look fondly at Fleamont, with small tears in the corners of her twinkling eyes, "Well, it's happened at last, he's growing up, off to Hogwarts in little more than two months, those poor teachers." Me Potter reached out at grasped her hand gently in his, "Oh they will handle him, Minerva told you about the Prewert twins, she managed them alright, and there is only one of James."

In the short time this exchange took, James had returned, ink smudges on his fingers, and curiously, on his forehead. He bent down and picked up the letter again, reading through his book list mumbling to himself "Black robes...Standard book of Spells...Fantastic Beasts...WHAT?!"

"What is wrong James?" his mother enquired with concern.

"Parents are reminded that first years are not permitted their own broomsticks," moaned James, "What is this? How am I meant to be the greatest chaser Hogwarts has ever seen if I'm not allowed my own broomstick?"

Mr Potter chuckled aloud at his son's outrage, "James, we told you that you would have to wait until second year to try out for the team, remember?" he reasoned, "This rule has been around for over 50 years, you will still get to attend flying lessons and you can watch the older students play against the other houses, if you get to know them, you might even be able to go to their practices." James just glared at the list in front of him, grumbling to himself about the injustice of it, and how disadvantage Gryffindor team will be without him.

"Well then James," Mrs Potter said trying to distract the boy from his disappointment, "do you want to get dressed so we can head to Diagon Alley and get your school supplies, you must be excited for your wand?"


	2. Diagon Alley

**A/N- ok so second chapter, hope I don't let anyone down, please if there's anything you don't like or think I can improve let me know in a review, got 2 reviews straight up from when I posted the first chapter, so thanks so much guys.**

 **Reviews make he story** **better for everyone!**

2\. Diagon Alley

"The Leaky Cauldron," James spoke cleary as he threw a fistful of Flu Powder into the fire in the Potters' kitchen, causing the flames to turn emerald green. He stepped into the fire and was instantly spinning through fireplaces of other wizarding homes connected to the Flu Network, until he came to a stop at the Leaky Cauldron, an inn on Charing Cross Rd in London, which held one of the enatrances to Diagon Alley, where James and his mother could purchase all his school supplies. Brushing ash off of his clothes he stepped out of the way as Mrs Potter emerged from the fireplace, "Morning Tom," she beamed to the proprietor of the inn where he stood behind the bar polishing a glass.

"Oh good morning Mrs Potter, you look splendid today, how is Monty?" replied Tom cordially.

"He is well thank you Tom, sorry, but we must hurry along," Mrs Potter apologised as James dragged her through the inn, "James received his Hogwarts letter this morning and is a little excited."

"Perfectly understandable Ma'am, have a great day."

The pair rushed through the back door, and James began counting the bricks above the trash can on the wall. "This one Mum, right here," he shouted eagerly, as Mrs Potter tapped the brick James was pointing at, with her wand. From the point the wand had touched a hole appeared, growing larger until it formed an archway big enough for the pair to walk through, and James was off. Straight to the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, "Can we go in Mum? Please?"

"If we have time later James, let us get your supplies first," Mrs Potter dragged James away, "What do you want to get first?"

"My wand, that's the most important thing for a wizard, right mum?"

"Yes dear, very well let's go and see Ollivander, his father made my wand you know?" Smiled Euphemia, as the opened the door into a musty store stacked with small rectangular boxes from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. "Good morning Garrick," she added as the wand-maker emerged from behind a pile of boxes.

"Ah Mia Potter, so good to see you, I take it young James has finally received his Hogwarts letter?" Mr Ollivander greeted his old friend.

"Yes that's right Mr Ollivander, I'm here to get my very own wand, can you help me sir?" James piped up, bursting with anticipation.

"Of course, of course..." he trailed off as pulled out a measuring tape, "Hold out your arm for me, there's a good lad." Mr Ollivander then proceeded to take multiple measurements of James while explaining the different powerfully magical cores that are used in the wands he crafts. "Ok...yes...I think we should try this one, holly, rather bendy, ten and a half inches with a dragon heartstring core, here you are." No sooner had James touched the wand than Ollivander had grabbed it from his hand.

"No that won't do, try this one, mahogany, unicorn hair, eleven and a quarter inches, highly suited for transfiguration, take it." The older man thrust the wand into James' hand, and the sensation that ran up his arm was like nothing he had ever felt. It was as though his arm had ended in a stump and he had grown a hand. "Yes, I do believe this wand has chosen you Mr Potter, I see you will do some very creative things with it."

The Potters thanked Mr Ollivander for his assistance, paying 8 galleons and 3 sickles for the wand and bid him a good afternoon. As the were leaving the shop a tall lady, with sunken eyes and an upturned nose walked in shoving them aside, closely followed by two boys.

"Lovely to see you Mrs Black," said Euphemia politely, as the stepped aside to allow the trio access. There was no reply, so the two left the door, James however was sure he heard Mrs Black mutter something about blood traitors to her eldest son who was watching them walk away.

The afternoon went quickly as James went between the stores, acquiring all the books and equipment he would need to start his year at school. After stopping at Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour, for one of Florean's spectacular sundaes all that was left on the list was James' school robes. "You dash into Madam Malkin's, I just need to pop into Amanuesis Quills next door, I'll be in momentarily," Mrs Potter said as she left him at the entrance to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Once inside he noticed that Madam Malkin was already fitting another boy for his robes, as he got closer James recognised him as the Black boy from Ollivander's. The seamstress had to retrieve more pins from the back of the store, so James took it upon himself to be friendly. "Hello," he said confidently, "I'm James Potter, you're a first year at Hogwarts too?"

"That's right," the dark haired boy replied, brushing his long hair out of his eyes, "I'm Sirius Black, sorry about Mother in the wand store earlier, she doesn't like me too associate with mudblood lovers, she nea...What?" James had let out a loud gasp.

"You said the M word, that's not a nice thing to say."

"What? Mudblood? What's wrong with that?" Sirius looked genuinely confused. "What else do you call them?" But at that moment Madam Malkin returned with a filled pin cushion and interrupted he conversation. "Hello Dear, I'll be with you in just a moment, once I get this pinned into place...just...there we go Mr Black, if you have an hour they will be ready, or I can owl them to you."

"Owl them to us," snapped a harsh voice, and the three heads snapped around in unison to see Walburga Black standing in the doorway glaring at James. "Take that off Sirius and come. I hope you have not been talking with the blood traitor, let's go." And with that She latched on to Sirius' arm and dragged him from the store, his eyes silently apologising to James.

"Well now I never," muttered Madam Malkin, "sorry about that Mister Potter, first year at Hogwarts too, oh must be very excited? Up on the platform here please." She pulled a set of black robes of his head and pinned them in place, finishing up just as Mrs Potter entered the store, "Good afternoon Mrs Potter, if you have an hour I will have here robes ready, or I can have then owled to you?"

"We have an hour don't we mum? I would like to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies and also Gambol and Japes, I need more prank supplies," James called to his mother who could never say no to her only child.

A/N- Qoheleth, glad you like it, I will make as much as I can true to fact/canon, thanks so much for reviewing

thank you for being my proof read before I started


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